We Will Rise
by xoUselessLesbianxo
Summary: Praimfaya, when it came, it was terrifying. But unlike anything she'd ever seen. It was beautiful, chaotic and deadly. And as she ran through the forest and towards the research lab she had only one thing on her mind: close the doors before the fire reached her.
1. Prologue

**AN: WARNING, spoilers for the season finale. Please don't read if you don't want spoilers.**

 **What a finale right? I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised by how good season 4 was. As an avid Clexa shipper (yes, even now), I actually managed to enjoy it. I'm not sure if this will be continued or not. Whether I'll keep it as an antsy one-shot as a recount of this scene or whether I'll have a go at my own take as to who that Nightblood was and how they got to that point 6 years and 7 days later. Let me know if you want me to continue :)**

 **We Will Rise**

 **Prologue**

Clarke's victory in activating the satellite was short lived as sparks flew from the device, rendering it now completely useless. "NO!" She cried out in frustration, throwing it angrily from the tower as despair began to crawl its way up her throat. She wanted to cry, scream, shout out that it wasn't fair. That her friends deserved a chance to survive even if she didn't. But of course, things never went exactly to plan.

Clarke hurriedly climbed from the tower after a few moments of shear frustration as she was quickly reminded of the danger she now faced, Praimfaya growing dangerously nearer. Clarke ran as fast and as hard as she could, determined to reach the lab before the nuclear wave reached her. She didn't know if the Nightblood that ran through her veins was enough to save her, but if she could only reach the lab, she at least had a chance.

Clarke tripped over a rock, falling to the ground just a few hundred metres from the building and for one heart stopping moment she saw the crack in her helmet. She climbed to her feet, not prepared to give up just yet and continued to run, the radiation having an immediate effect as her breathing came in short gasps, her skin becoming raw.

Clarke stumbled into the building, slamming the door shut behind her just as the wave hit the building and she staggered to the closest bench, leaning over it as she removed her helmet. She began to cough up blood, the dark liquid spilling onto the table as she clung to it.

Clarke fell to the floor, the radiation taking its full toll as her eyes closed for what she thought was the last time. Her last thought, was that her mother's vision had finally come true. She would succumbed to radiation poisoning.


	2. A New World

**AN: Firstly I'd like to say a huge thank you for the show of support for this story. When I checked my emails at 4am (yes, I wake up and check them), and saw the two reviews and all the people who favourites/follows, I had to finish the first chapter. This story probably won't be a huge one unless I can think of a further story line, a danger that can carry it on. Any ideas would be appreciated** **Also I'd like to apologise if some of the medical facts are incorrect. I don't work in the medical field nor do I know anything about radiation and the effects on the human body apart from what's depicted in the show. Please bear with me and thank you for reading :)**

* * *

 **A New World**

 **Chapter One**

Clarke's eyes fluttered open as she came to, an instant look of confusion on her face. She sat up slowly, her eyes taking in the lab in which she'd past out in as it all came flooding back to her. The satellite, her friends, Praimfaya. Although with the recollection of her memories, she was still in a state of disorientation. She should be dead. Praimfaya should have killed her. She still felt the pain all over her body from the exposure to radiation and as she looked down, her skin was still red raw, blistering and with the taste of blood on her lips.

Clarke cried out in agonising pain as she struggled to stand, trying not to panic as she attempted to move to a more comfortable location to recover. She'd be okay, just like Luna had been. It would take a few days but she would live. At least that's what she told herself.

Over the next few days Clarke could do little more than lift a hand to wipe away the blood from her mouth. She had little energy to think about the fate of her people, her friends as she slipped in and out of a state of consciousness. While awake on the second day, she had a brief thought of what-if. What if her friends hadn't made it to the Ark? What if her manually switching on the Ark's power hadn't been successful? She slowly began to slip into unconsciousness once more, unable to continue worrying as the pain became too much.

After a few days of suffering had passed, Clarke could feel her skin becoming clearer and her insides not feeling as though they were on fire. Luna had been the same. She had suffered for days and then quite suddenly, over the course of only an hour, she'd been almost one hundred percent better. With this knowledge, and finally not writhing in pain, she slowly sat up from the make shift cot and reached for the walkie talkie.

"Hello?" She rasped, her voice still hoarse from her ordeal. Static filled the air as silence rang out in the empty lab. "Can anyone hear me?"

She shouldn't have been disappointment. Praimfaya would have knocked out any communication towers to the underground bunker. Clarke slid the device into her pocket and slowly began to make her way to the door. She took a deep breath and, with her hand shakily on the handle, pushed it open in one swing, bracing for the impact.

But there wasn't any.

Everything was gone. Well, not gone but rather, everything was flattened. Stumps stood where trees had been just days ago. Snow, which had covered the ground had appeared to have blown away with the radiation wave. And the silence, the silence was what struck Clarke the most.

Clarke took a small step outside the door, her eyes widened in amazement and wonder. She did it. She'd survived Praimfaya. The Nightblood that ran through her veins had saved her once again. But she was on her own. There were the people in the underground bunker, her mother, Kane. And all the others. But she hadn't had the chance to say goodbye and that alone was what hurt the most.

Shaking off her sudden panic of being alone, Clarke began to prioritise what needed to be done first. She would need clean drinking water and luckily for her the lab held about 4 months' worth if she rationed it. Next she would need food and medical supplies. There was some, leftovers that her friends weren't able to take to space to which she could live off. What she would do after that ran out, she didn't know.

Once she'd set up the basics of her new home, Clarke set about trying to make contact with the bunker despite knowing what the outcome would be. She needed to feel like she wasn't completely alone. And so, every day, right on sunrise, she attempted to make contact. But every day was the same result. Once she'd tried the bunker, she went through the same process in trying to contact her friends on the Ark. "Raven? Bellemy? Can you hear me?" Static filled the air just as it had upon her first attempt of contact, just as it had the day she'd woken up. Clarke let out a disappointed sigh as she pocketed the walkie talkie once more.

Days, weeks and months passed, and as Clarke's supplies began to dwindle, her need to find more supplies grew increasingly desperate. Packing what she could into a pack, Clarke set out further every day, trying to salvage what she could. As hunting and killing prey was no longer an option for food, it made foraging even harder. Before long, she'd explored every inch of Allie's island and knew she'd have to venture out further if she was going to survive.

Clarke packed the last of her things, which wasn't much, and came upon her final belonging, a picture of Lexa. She remembered that day clearly. Lexa had asked to see Clarke to discuss their next move with the Coalition. But before long Lexa had given in to sleep, not having slept the last few nights due to nightmares. Clarke couldn't help herself. She'd wanted to be reminded of the Commander who was asleep in front of her. The vulnerable and breath-takingly beautiful woman. Not the strong, compassionate but also very ruthless leader of the Grounders that everyone else saw. Her eyes began to well with tears, but she quickly wiped them away. Lexa was gone and she wasn't coming back. But she still had hope they would meet again. She folded the picture back up with care before slipping it inside her shirt, near her heart where knew the woman she'd loved would always be. She took a deep breath and headed out the door one final time, towards the dock where a boat she'd spent months fixing was finally operational.

Clarke climbed aboard and untied it from the dock before pulling the cord for the motor, the boat starting within a few tries. She began to steer the boat away from land and on into the unknown, her heart beating rapidly with excitement and fear.

After days of travel and then, inevitably days of paddling as the fuel ran out, Clarke finally reached the shore. She gathered her bearings with an old map and began the long tiring walk towards her destination. After weeks of travelling by foot, the mountains in which she knew would be Mount Weather finally came into a view in the distance. With a sigh of relief and a smile on her face, Clarke knew she was finally home.

* * *

 **AN:- I apologise that I don't know anything about radiation apart from what's depicted in the show. I'm simply going off the after radiation shots/scenes and my version as to what it would have looked like after it. Just a disclaimer, this story was never meant to be action packed. Only a simple story of my take on what Clarke did after surviving Praimfaya and how she found Madi as previously mentioned.**

 **Also, a special shout out to the two people that reviewed. You guys are the reason why I got up at 4am and continued to write. Unfortunately I was busy yesterday so this chapter wasn't posted as early as I would have liked. Thanks again guys :)** **Keep reviewing and let me know what you think.**


	3. I Will Remember

**I Will Remember**

 **Chapter Two**

Clarke continued on in a direction away from those mountains, towards the next set of hills where she knew the drop ship would be. She salvaged what she could from the area, knowing there wouldn't be much, if anything left at all. Clarke looked around at her first home on Earth, repeating the one thing that kept her going inside her mind. Her people, and the Grounders would survive beyond this. She knew things would be tough for them inside the bunker, with supplies rationed to the point of extreme. But they would be okay and she would see them again someday. Four years, four months and counting. She shouldered her pack and continued on her way.

…

Clarke found herself standing outside the walls of what was once Arkadia and looked up the huge metal skeletal structure. It still stood, tall as ever. Apparently even a radiation death wave hadn't been able to knock down the huge structure. But just as everything she'd witnessed so far, its surroundings was bare, a scene that replicated metal in the middle of a desert.

Clarke slowly made her way towards the entrance, a familiar path she'd once taken often before. The doors had been closed by someone, whom she guessed had been Monty and Harper as they'd left one last final time. The thought of her friends whom had travelled into space, once again crossed her mind as it so often did.

Clarke entered the dining hall, slowly making her way into the room when she gasped. Bodies lay in the centre of the room, in a group she knew were the ones who had opted to die instead of surviving. She easily identified each and every one of them but there was no sight of her Jasper, who she knew had led them down this path. Then, she remembered something Monty had said and left the main hall, heading down one of the corridors in search of a body she knew would be on its own.

Clarke forced herself to keep walking, even as a lone body, sat propped up on a window sill came into view. She felt silent tears roll down her cheeks, her face crumpling in grief. "Jasper…" She whispered, crouching down next to his body. She took a moment to remember him, from their first day on Earth, to when he was speared on that very day and then Mount Weather. God Mount Weather, which had ultimately lead to his death. He'd been so angry at her, so unforgiving it had hurt more than she could ever admit. She'd blamed herself for so long. And, even if he had only been in a fit of anger, she'd come to blame herself for Lexa's death as he had mentioned. Clarke kneeled in silence, her head in her hands as she cried over Jasper, and so many other's she had lost.

…

Clarke went back the way she'd come, trying to find a tarp or blanket she could use to carry his body in. Upon finding an old blanket that had been used by one of the many people who had opted to stay on the Ark, she took it back to Jasper's body and set about bury her people. It took the remainder of the night and the next day to dig everyone's grave, despite having the option to burn their bodies. But there were only a few, so to her it was worth it. And as she lowered Jasper's body into the ground and shovelled the last of the dirt, she silently said her goodbyes.

…

Once all the graves were dug for her fallen friends, with crosses marking where they were laid to rest, Clarke brushed the last of the dirt from her hands. She shouldered her pack and walked out the gates of Arkadia, wondering if it was for the last time.

…

Clarke knew where she wanted to go next. With radio communication down, she wanted to try and make contact with the bunker in person. She needed her mother to know she was alive. In some ways she'd gotten lucky. If she had travelled to space like the rest of them, her mother may think she was dead and wouldn't know otherwise until it was safe to surface.

The trip was long and exhausting. She hadn't realised how long it would be to walk without aid from a horse or vehicle. Clarke travelled through the day, only resting at night for a few hours when she could no longer see where she was going. She knew the road mainly, having used it many times during the months she spent on her own. But during the darkest time of night, it became impossible to see in the pitch black.

Clarke's heart skipped a beat as the heavy wooden gates to Polis came into view, a little over a week later. She made her way through the city, remembering the way to the bunker easily. She recognised many buildings on her way and when the Tower came into view, she couldn't help but remember everything that had happened in its walls. Deciding to bypass the tower despite her reverie, she continued onwards towards the bunker.

Clarke stepped inside the temple but stopped suddenly at the sight she saw, having the same reaction she'd had back at Arkadia. She should have expected it, knowing only 100 of each clan could stay in the bunker. But even that hadn't prepared her for the sight she saw. Clarke moved further towards the door where bodies laid surrounding it, the body count increasing the closer she got. She recognised some, like Miller's dad who unbeknownst to Clarke, had sacrificed himself so his son would live. She stepped over the bodies, careful not to step on them and got as close as she could to the door. "Hello?! Can anyone hear me?!" She shouted as loud as she could, not knowing if she could even be heard from the other side. When there was no answer she turned back to the bodies and, as she had done back in Arkadia, began to drag the bodies out one by one.

To stop the smell of the already decaying bodies from assaulting her nostrils, she wrapped a bandana around her nose and mouth as she worked. There were too many to bury, she knew that. They would have to be burned on a pyre, Grounders and Skaikru together as one. She felt it was right. After all, they had spent their last moments together before death. So she set about gathering enough wood for the mass of bodies, building the pyre just outside the temple where she would carry out the mass funeral.

…

Clarke laid the final body on top of the pile of wood before taking a step back. Like the graves, it had taken her some time to prepare the mass funeral. She lit a torch and took a step back with it still in her hand before reciting the words of her people.

"In peace, may we leave the shore.

In love, may we find the next.

Safe passage on your travels,

Until our final journey to the ground.

May we meet again."

Clarke lowered the torch as she finished the passage, watching as the pyre went up in flames. Slowly at first, but as it caught, growing as it fully ignited.

"Yu gonplei ste odon." She whispered out of respect for the Grounders whom were being laid to rest. There were no more sides. No more wars, only survival. And afterwards. The only thing that kept her going, was afterwards.

 **AN: Thank you again for all the reviews, follows and favorites. I apologise for not updating as regularly as I'd like to. I find it hard to have the time or energy to write when I get home from work on weekdays so most chapters will probably be posted on weekends. Keep letting me know what you think :)** **I take all your ideas and suggestions into consideration.**


	4. One Last Goodbye

**AN: So sorry about the hiatus guys. Mental health issues reared their ugly heads but I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't let anything get in the way of finishing this story. So here it is, the next chapter. Thanks again for all the follows, favourites and reviews. I appreciate every one of them.**

Clarke watched as the last of the embers faded away, leaving a thick, heavy layer of ash before her. She'd gathered what supplies she could from the bodies before placing them on the wooden structure, which hadn't been much, and had come back to watch the last of the fire disappear. Clarke felt a little guilty, taking belongings that once belonged to the dead, but had sternly reminded herself that they were gone and she needed to survive.

Clarke's stomach began to rumble and she knew she needed to keep her strength up. She'd have to hunt for food as all the rations she'd brought with her were gone. Grabbing a spear she'd taken from a fallen Grounder, she left the city's walls and headed for the closest stream where she knew she could find food.

Hours later Clarke returned with a string of fish hanging around her neck and sat them down on the ground. She began the process of cleaning and gutting them and then, 20 minutes later relaxed against a large boulder with a full stomach. She didn't know what to do next. Should she attempt to make a communications device to try and contact her friends in space? Or failing that, the people inside the bunker? She didn't want to leave her people behind and despite telling herself to stay strong these past few days just as the loneliness crept towards her, she felt more alone than ever when she was away from her people.

With these thoughts in mind, Clarke began the lengthy process of creating a make-shift communications device to try and contact her people. And this task, despite telling herself to stay strong, took the edge off the darkness that threatened to take over. It took many tries and many misses, to finally finish a working, functional walkie talkie. And, with a small hopeful smile, she moved as close to the bunker as possible and began her attempt at contacting her people.

"Hello? This is Clarke Griffin, the sole survivor of Praimfaya. I'm on the other side of the bunker door. Can anyone hear me?" She waited for a response, her finger poised above the talk button as static filled the air. One stand-alone worst case scenario began to fill her mind. What if after all these years, the bunker was rendered useless and they were all dead due to radiation? Her mother, Kane and everyone else she knew dead? Before she could let that thought fully take hold, she mentally shook it from her mind. If she was going to survive for the next five years, she couldn't let thoughts like that enter her head.

When there was no reply, Clarke repeated herself twice, then a third time but still with no response. She let out a shaky sigh, not realising how much hope she'd put into this homemade device. Clarke slumped against the side of the building, feeling considerably lonely and helpless once again. And, with the realisation slowly creeping up on her, she realised there was nothing more she could do here.

…

Clarke slowly made her way through the ruined city, taking the same path she'd come in on. She stopped once more at the tower, where she'd once called home for a brief time. The structure had once seemed so sturdy, having once survived the original nuclear explosion. But now the cracks were showing, small bits of rubble falling to the ground before her eyes. Before she could think about it Clarke made her way inside the tower, remembering what her friends had once said about the long hard climb up the ladder to reach the top floor. She couldn't remember the number of floors, but having taken the elevator herself, she knew there was a lot. And, as if she needed reminding, reaching the halfway point she was reminded of this fact.

Clarke counted the floors as she climbed until finally reaching the one that was once the Commander's primary floor and swung herself into the open hallway where the elevator once swung its doors open. She made her way through the halls, her mind travelling back to the days before the chip, before Allie. When they were on the verge of war. She never thought it would happen, but she actually longed for those days. And she knew why. Because Lexa was alive. She'd often thought long and hard about what she could have done differently to ensure the woman whom she'd loved would still be here. Perhaps if she'd agreed to leave with her mother as originally planned? Or maybe confronted Titus in the first place to make sure he never tried to kill her? But of course, Titus had only done what he believed to be right. And although she had come to terms in his role of the Commander's death, she would never forget.

Clarke reached the doorway that had once been Lexa's, her hand hesitating on the handle. She remembered the last time she'd been inside. That horrible memory in which she couldn't stop from surfacing. Lexa, lying on the bed, slowly bleeding out from the bullet that was meant for her. The goodbye, which at the time she thought was her last. And Lexa, taking her last breath before her eyes closed for the last time.

The room wasn't how she remembered it. Of course it wasn't, how could it be? Ontari had occupied it. And, as only a guess, later on Roan. As to be expected, the interior was dark, heavy. The complete opposite of how it once was. Candles had been replaced by weapons. Swords, daggers and machetes. Where there was once light cloth draped over the bare frames that were once windows, were now black, thick, heavy furs hanging in their place. But it wasn't just the décor that had changed. The entire world had. Yet again Earth's population had been all but obliterated but somehow Clarke felt like she was the only one living in it. And maybe she was. She was the one walking free. Not trapped inside a bunker or up in space like the rest of them. And perhaps she should be thankful. After all she hadn't expected to survive at all. Once the decision had been made to stay behind, she had resigned to the fact that she would die. But fate had had other plans for her. She'd been given a second chance and she was going to live it. For her friends, for her mother. And for Lexa, who couldn't be here to enjoy it with her.

…

Clarke took what she could carry of the ex-Commander's chambers, sliding Lexa's favourite knife into the side of her boot, the one she'd been wielding the day they had met. She left the room, silently saying one last goodbye as she closed the door behind her for the last time. Clarke walked back down the hallway, staring straight ahead and never looked back.


	5. The Circle of Life

**The Circle of Life**

Weeks passed, which stretched into months as Clarke survived on the now barren, destroyed Earth. She wandered from one place to another, without any particular goal in mind apart from trying to contact her people. She worked to improve her make-shift walkie-talkie, then decided to scourge around for parts to make a radio. She made a basic shelter which could be transported from one place to another and finally stumbled upon one of Skaikru's vehicle's which had been deserted. She spent a few weeks by the piece of metal, working to repair it so it could be used as both shelter and transport.

As the days went by, the silence began to stretch on and on. She was lucky enough to stumble upon a lone flower let alone another other living insect, bird or mammal. She was glad she'd paid attention in Earth skills, because the things she'd learnt were being put to good use now. How to start a fire. How to hunt for food when there was very little. And how to bind an injury, although that last skill had come from her mother. None the less, it was almost two years since Praimfaya had wiped everything out, when she saw it. The first sign of wildlife. A small insect, one she guessed to be a dragon fly, flew into her line of sight. She smiled in relief, that there were signs of life and the Earth was slowly recovering from its ordeal. It gave her hope, that one day, this world would be survivable again.

…

Clarke emerged from the vehicle, a shelter that was much warmer than her previous one, feeling just a little more optimistic than she had the day before. It was now three years and ten days, since Praimfaya and some of the Earth's familiar smells began to return. More and more insects began to emerge as the sounds of wildlife began to fill that empty, soundless void of nothing.

Clarke started to set up the radio, preparing for her daily routine of trying to contact her friends in space. She'd lost contact with the ones inside the bunker 63 days before. It gave her comfort, this daily exercise, to know she still had people out there, if they'd made it in the first place. She sat the aerial on the ground a few feet in front of the truck and tried to make contact three times. And each time static filled the air. She gave up her attempted and put it back into the truck before setting out in search of supplies.

…

Clarke drove up a bumpy hill after a few hours of travelling, finding a dirt track that seemed to lead up to a farmstead. Or rather, the Grounder equivalent of a farmstead. She'd been right, passing several fenced off paddocks with a lone house standing at the top. It was a mess of course, just like the rest of wooden structures that were left standing. But it still had basic structures, and didn't look like it was about the collapse. The saddest part, however, was the pitiful mounds of dust she guessed were once farm animals. Sheep, possibly cattle. And larger ones she figured used to be horses and maybe cattle. She hoped they'd been killed instantly and not by a slow, starvation death. And as she entered the house, she found three more piles of dirt mixed with white flecks she immediately recognised as bone. Human bones. They must have died here, possibly choosing to stay right until the very end. It had cost them their lives, but at least they'd died with the people they loved.

…

Clarke left the farm feeling sullen, saddened, by her findings. She knew she would come across more and more places like that, but it'd never get any easier. She drove down the hill and after a few miles, came across a road that seemed familiar. It was the same road herself, Bellamy and Jaha had travelled along to reach the first bunker. She took the long bumpy road, feeling nostalgia as she drove. It had been their first glimmer of hope. One that had quickly vanished in an instant upon discovering hundreds of dead bodies.

Clarke pulled up outside the old house and went to check for supplies. There hadn't been much the last time they were there, but it didn't hurt to check. She found an old blanket with holes in it and slung it over her shoulder since the nights were becoming increasingly cold. She didn't know how she'd survived the last two winters. But this one was already starting to show and she could feel would probably be much worse. Clarke headed towards the bunker next, seeming as there was very little items inside the house and went down the stairs, lighting up one of the few glow sticks she had left. She tried to swallow down the urge to cough, the smell of the mouldy damp air was almost suffocating. She put her hand over her mouth, coughing a few times when she heard movement up ahead in the darkness. She crept forward cautiously, her heart pounding in her chest. "Hello?" She called, keeping her voice steady despite her fear. But how could there by anyone out here? No one could survive something like…

Clarke spun to her right, seeing a shadow run across the path to her left. The brief shadow she caught a glimpse of was small. One the size of a child. "Hello? I won't hurt you." She called again, this time less fearful seeing as she was facing a child, no threat at all. She held the glow stick in front of her face, the blue hue only spreading so far. Clarke came to a sudden stop as a knife appeared out of nowhere, directly in line with her stomach. She swallowed audibly, her surprise morphing into shock. Out of the darkness stepped a little girl.


	6. Not Alone

**AN:- Hey guys, I apologise some things don't line up within the story or with the show. It's been a while since I've read or watched either. Some chapters may be shorter than others depending what I want to happen in what chapter. But I promise I haven't given up with this story. I'm determined to actually finish this before the new season returns. Thank you to the amazing people still reading and following along with this. You have no idea how much that means to me. Anyway, I'm always open to new ideas for this story so feel free to review and let me know what you guys want to see.**

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Clarke stood in bewilderment, huge scared eyes of a child staring back into her own. She held her hand up, an automatic gesturing to try and defuse the situation. "My name is Clarke. Are…are you alone?" She asked softly, her voice calm and soothing. When there was no response from the girl and her eyes narrowed in an attempt to look tough, Clarke realised she probably didn't speak English. Of course, the only way this girl could have survived was if she was a Night blood.

"Ai laik Klark gon the Skai Kru. Laik yu alone?" Clarke asked her again, this time receiving a nod despite the girl's attempt to seem scary. At least she could communicate with the child.

"Nau, the swis?" Clarke indicated to the knife still pointed at her stomach before outstretching her hand. She could see the indecision running through the girl's mind before finally deciding to lowering it instead of using it against her. "Chit ste yu name?" She asked as the child slipped her knife back into her belt, seemingly deeming her not a threat. "Madi."

…

Over the next few months, Clarke taught Madi everything she knew. How to hunt, and fish and how to scavenge for supplies. She even taught her about technology starting with Clarke's make shift radio. It became a ritual, to set up the radio and try to contact the Ark. Madi would look on with apt interest every single morning and every single morning her disappointment would mirror Clarke's after yet another failed attempt.

Madi was a complete mystery to Clarke. All she could find out about the girl was that she was born approximately 5 Winters before Praimfaya occurred which put her at about 8 years old. She was surprisingly mature for her age, very much capable of surviving on her own. But after all Madi had seen, this wasn't surprising.

As they were travelling across the sandy deserted wasteland in the truck one warm Spring day, a small patch of yellowy green caught Clarke's attention. "Madi. Madi! Look!" Madi rubbed at her eyes sleepily and they slowly widened in wonder as she too caught sight of what Clarke was looking at. They began to speed towards it, as if it was some sort of saving grace. Perhaps it was. It had had been so long since either of them had seen anything so vibrant and green. So alive. Once they reached the edge of the green, they stumbled out of the vehicle and into the slowly regenerating patch of wildlife. Both began to burst out laughing in amazement as Clarke collapsed on the ground in a green patch of grass, letting out a sigh of relief. It was only the start of the regrowth, but it was enough and it was paradise.

…

Clarke and Madi settled into their new home, using the vehicle to set up a more permanent base. They would go out for day trips, sometimes camping overnight for something different, something to break the monotony of day to day surviving. Insects, birds and fish started to procreate once more and the more they explored, the more animals they discovered. Various animals that had once walked Earth had started to reappear such as deer and rabbits. Clarke taught Madi how to set traps and at the end of the day they would set up a fire whether it be at the rover or at their overnight camp and cook that days catch.

On one particular day, they were both crouched in the bushes, stalking a mutated deer. The effects of the radiation were much worse this time around, some animals almost beyond recognition. But they'd worked out the meat was still edible, considering 4 years had now passed since Praimfaya.

Madi went to take a step back when she stepped on a branch, the deer's head shooting up from its grazing and took off into a sprint. Clarke swore under her breath and the two took off in its direction. They split up and ran in different directions to try and corner the deer but after a few minutes of running Clarke found a pothole and fell, causing her ankle to twist. She cried out, forgetting about the lost deer as pain shot up from her ankle to her leg. Clarke swore under her breath as she removed her boot and inspected her ankle closely. "Not broken, only sprained." She muttered to herself. Clarke began to try and stand but instantly fell back down as another sharp pain shot through her ankle. The noise she made the second time must have been much louder because without warning she heard a rustling sound behind her and quickly turned around, hearing a low growl emerge from the darkened bushes.

* * *

Ai laik Klark gon the Skai Kru. Laik yu alone? = I am Clarke of the Sky People. Are you alone?

Nau, the swis? = Now, the knife?

Chit ste yu name? = What is your name?


	7. Stories

**AN:- So I feel as though this story is coming to an end, this chapter being the second last. I only ever intended for this story to take us up to the arrival of the prison ship. If you would like a sequel please let me know, I'd be more than happy to start writing my thoughts as to what I think might happen in season 5. A huge thank you to those who are still following this. I know it's only short but I never intended for it to be a huge story.**

A large leopard stalked out from the bushes and began to size up Clarke as its next meal. Clarke's heart began to race in her chest, thinking this was it. This was what would kill her. She braced herself as the animal prepared to pounce and squeezed her eyes shut as it leapt into the air. But the attack didn't come, two thumps sounded into the air and the sound of someone calling her name came next. "Klark! Are you okay?!" A panicked Madi came running out from trees and knelt down beside her. Clarke looked between her and the leopard, piecing together what had happened. "You…you killed it. Shot it straight through the heart." It took Madi a moment to realise what she was saying and she couldn't help but grin at the proud smile plastered on Clarke's face. "I guess I did." Her attention turned back on her ankle and within a minute or two Clarke had her arm around Madi's shoulders and they were limping away.

…

For the next few nights their favourite story to tell was how Madi came in and saved the day. Clarke couldn't have been prouder of the girl. She'd taught her what she could but Madi seemed to have a talent for weapons. This both frightened her and filled her with pride. The latter won out, after all her strength in weapons is what would keep her alive.

The stories continued well and truly after Clarke's ankle had healed completely. Madi's favourite became the one about the hundred and how they came to be. She'd start by telling her about the Ark and how it was created. And how they were sent to the ground to see if it was survivable. How they encounter the Grounders, Madi's own people. And about Lexa, the leader of the thirteen clans and how she tried to bring peace but died before she could. Clarke always grew emotional during those stories even though it had been many years since their last goodbye. During these times the drawing of Lexa she kept inside her shirt seemed to weigh heavily on her, just like her heart.

Lastly, she told her about how Clarke survived Praimfaya. Of course, in telling her this, Madi's true heritage had come to light and she told her every night before falling asleep of how special Madi was. She told her that the Earth would become populated once more and she would one day become Heda. Madi was unsure of this despite its importance in repopulating the Earth. She was only so young and so to soothe her worries Clarke would reassure her it wouldn't be for a very long time. She also told her it would be different this time, because they would be starting anew. A world with peace, at least Clarke hoped.

Clarke began to rely on Madi's company more than ever as the days stretched on. She was thankful. Thankful to be alive, even if in the early days she wasn't. Thankful that she now had company, someone to talk to. But the unknown still lay just below the surface and played regularly on her mind. She still agonised over the possibility of not saving her friends. If she fixed the switch at the tower in time for them to survive. And she worried about her mother and all the people she cared about still trapped inside the bunker. Clarke did her best not to show her concerns, however, in the presence of Madi, only allowing them to come out once the girl was well and truly asleep. But she couldn't hide it from her. Not for very long. Without words, Madi just simply knew and decided to ask her one night.

"It's nothing my little natblida." Clarke replied with a small smile of reassurance.

"Something is wrong. I can see it." Madi persisted, sitting up in bed and lightly placing her hand in Clarke's. The blonde looked away for a moment, trying to compose herself as fresh tears welled in her eyes.

"I just miss my people very much." She answered honestly. "Which story would you like tonight?"

"The one of Floukru and Luna."

* * *

Natblida= Nightblood

Floukru= Boat People


	8. A New Chapter

**AN: Last chapter guys, to those who are still following this story. I don't know about you guys but I'm pretty amped about season 5. The trailers looks pretty amazing, fingers crossed my favourites survive (although knowing J Roth some won't).**

 **I've changed up the person for the last part of the chapter just for something different. Hopefully it works and you don't get too offended. Thanks again for reading and following this story, even if it's taken a little bit to finish I'm glad it's done. Enjoy**

 **A New Chapter**

Many more nights passed, and many more stories were told. Every night Clarke would become emotional, particularly over the stories of her people, and of course Lexa. But every night she would reassure Madi that she would much rather be there with her, because if she had been up in space with her people, or inside the bunker then she wouldn't have met her. She liked to think she helped keep the nightblood alive, but deep down she knew it was the other way around. Clarke often wondered what it would have been like to survive for as long as she had in a world where she was the sole survivor. She knew Madi had saved her.

They hunted and trained, Clarke doing her best to train the nightblood as best she could. It was true she had become somewhat of a warrior herself, but she'd never be up to Roan, Luna or Lexa's level. Still Madi possessed a deep rooted talent, especially the skill of a bow and arrow. They'd fashioned one early on and it was still going strong, over five years later. It was mainly used for target practice, but the occasional bird met its end with an arrow shot from Madi's hand. And every time she succeeded Clarke praised her. The pride and joy emanating from the girl had grown until it was ready to explode within her chest. She hoped Lexa would be proud too, to have such a strong, talented warrior become her predecessor.

The more time that went on, the more information Clarke managed to put together of Madi's life before Praimfaya. Her mother's name was Jessa whose profession was to trade various clothing sewn from fur, animal hide and other properties that were useful. Her father had left when she was small, but what she had been told was that he was nothing but a drunk and a thief who she was better off not knowing. This made Clarke sad, remembering her own loving, caring, considerate father who ultimately died in an attempt to save other people. Clarke told Madi of her own father, so she didn't think all men were bad. This seemed to help them both to heal and remember their lives before.

Clarke moved the vehicle to more fertile grounds. They had hunted what they could on the old ones without the animals becoming extinct. Standing atop a cliff which overlooked the rest of the world, replicating what the dead zone had looked like before. A few rocks scattered the grounds but still with plenty of space within the rejuvenating trees to park the rover. The view was breathtaking as they stepped out of the vehicle, both looking at the other with amazement. In all the years they had been moving about, this was the scenery that stopped them dead. There was green everywhere, almost as far as they could see in the opposite direction to the cliff and plenty to hunt. They could stay here for quite a while without having to move on. Clarke couldn't help but be reminded of their first initial dropship sight, when the One Hundred were sent to the ground. So much had changed since then. She'd grown so much.

Clarke and Madi finished setting up camp, pulling out the makeshift radio as one final touch. They sat around the small fire, venison cooking over it as they looked on with their mouths watering.

"What do you think they're doing up there? It's been five years and they haven't come down." Madi asked, looking at Clarke intently.

"I'm not sure. But what I do know is that they will find a way to come down. Something's probably happened and they've had to delay." She replied, remaining optimistic despite her own concerns. Madi didn't push the issue, instead she announced the meat was cooked and they began to eat, a look of worry still evident in Clarke's eye.

…

 _Six years and seven days had passed since Praimfaya. Six years and seven days since I had survived Praimfaya. And still no sign of the others. The drops of rain falling wake me from sleep and I look up at the sky. I hold out my hand, as if the droplets can be caught in my palm. And they can, sort of. The sun shines through the trees and as I look down I can see my drawing book, full of memories from both my past and present life._

 _I stand from the bonnet of the rover and instantly reach for the radio, a habit I've never grown out of. And never will, not until my friends are back safely on the ground. Safe, I can't help but smile a little at that word. The ground has never been safe. I aim the radio dish towards the nearest satellite and take a seat on one of the rocks. I take a deep breath, hopeful today will be different and mutter 'Here we go again.'_

" _Bellemy, can you hear me?" I say this question with warning, sarcasm. Because I have never received a reply. "If you're alive, it's been two thousand, one hundred and ninety nine days since Praimfaya. I don't know why I still do this every day…maybe it's my way of staying sane or not forgetting who I am. Who I was. It's been safe for you to come down for over a year now." I continued, the last part with optimism, a small smile again on my face. "Why haven't you?" I say in a whisper, the barely there smile dying on my lips. "The bunkers gone silent too. We tried digging them out for a while but there was too much rubble. I haven't made contact with them either. Anyway, I still have hope. Tell Raven to aim for the one spot of green and you'll find me. The rest of the planet from what I've seen sucks."_

 _A sound erupts from the sky and even though I cannot see anything yet I know it's there. Whatever it is. Standing quickly I stare up into the sky, my heart racing in my chest. "Never mind." I say into the radio, hope replacing the sorrow I'd felt moments before. "I see you." I hurry to the back of the vehicle, going to awake Madi who is still sleeping inside. "Hey my little Nightblood. It's time to wake up." I gently coax, a sleepy Madi beginning to stir. "No more lessons today." She replies, moving to sit up. The sound of the ship rings closer by now and this is enough to gain Madi's full attention. "Took you long enough." I tease, an old lesson of being aware of your surroundings at any given time coming into play. I smile as Madi pulls herself out of the rover, running to see the ship. To see the others. Relief washes over. I'm not alone and they are alive._

" _I thought you said the ship was small." Madi remarks and I move to see what she is talking about, a frown replacing a smile. "Madi go get my rifle, NOW." I stress the last word, staring up at the huge ship, one that does not belong to the Ark. She hands it to me within moments and I look through the scope, studying it quickly. I see the words Prisoner Transport and instantly know what that could mean. Madi starts to yell 'We're here! We're here!' and I immediately move to shush her, telling her to get down. "I need you to back up the rover, move it out of sight and get the guns." "All of them?" Madi asks, worry mirroring my own. "All of them." I confirm as she runs to the vehicle to do as I've asked._

 _I crouch as low as I can, although I know this is futile. It is futile because whoever these people are, they aren't my friends. Whoever these people are, they are prisoners. Just as I had been. Whoever these people are, they will kill to survive. And they will try to kill me. But I won't go down without a fight._

~Fin~


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